Winter weather–you either love it or hate it. And if you’re like most people, you’re … probably the latter.
But cold temps don’t have to catch you off guard, and being prepared for chillier weather can help ease the transition from autumn to winter and even make the average day feel like a winter wonderland.
Read on for a few tips and tricks to prepare for a frostier season!
Top must-have items for winter
The first step of preparing for winter is having the right equipment ready. It’s best to be proactive about getting the equipment and clothing you need for the season in advance rather than waiting until after the first big snowstorm has happened. This is too late!
Here are a few must-have items you’ll need for winter:
Shovel: if you live in a place where it snows often, having a shovel is very important! Otherwise, you might be left cursing and cooped up inside … and no one wants to be cooped up indoors, even when it’s cold! This shovel from Home Depot is a durable, affordable option.
Weighted Blanket: what’s better than a fuzzy, cozy blanket? A blanket that is ALSO weighted, which makes for an ultra-relaxing nap or bedtime experience. Surprisingly, there are a lot of health benefits to using a weighted blanket. These benefits include deep pressure stimulation, which promotes the production of the mood-boosting hormone (serotonin), and reduces cortisol, the stress hormone.
Slow Cooker: A crockpot is a great tool for promoting a healthy lifestyle during winter! It’s easy to make cozy, yet nutritious meals during winter when you have a crockpot handy.
Preparing the house for winter
There’s nothing worse than a drafty, cold house in the wintertime. We know that sometimes, you just want to sit down and watch a favorite movie or TV show, or even the upcoming winter 2022 olympics, and then BAM! You feel a draft of chilliness.
If you want to make your home into a warm wintertime oasis, we’d suggest a couple of favorite household items to make winter not only bearable, but downright snug.
A space heater is perfect for older homes and is a helpful piece of equipment for people who frequently hang out in their garage or basement. This DeLonghi space heater produces powerful warmth but is also safe! It heats up a large room within an hour and even features an automatic shut-off feature.
Coffee lovers, this next tip is for you! Ever wish your mug of coffee would just stay at that perfect, just-brewed temperature? A coffee warmer is a great gadget to have around the house this winter season. Or, could make a perfect birthday or holiday gift for the coffee aficionado in your friend circle or family. Caffeine addicts … unite!
What about my indoor plants?
Many of our Proper Good customers have their own plants indoors and worry that their beloved green girls will die in the winter time. However, it’s possible to keep your plants not only protected during the winter, but thriving!
First, make sure to keep your plants warm. Many varieties of plants are sensitive to cold air so it’s important to make sure they are protected from cool temps. You can safeguard your plants by sealing windows and insulating the doors of your home.
For plants that normally sit on drafty window sills or right beside doors, it helps to move them to rooms that are less exposed to the cold air.
Another piece of advice is to water houseplants using warm water in the winter! You’ll want to make sure to only water your plants if the soil is dry an inch or two below the surface. Plus, after watering, double check that your plants aren’t soaked and sitting in too much water because this can cause fungus and moldy soil issues.
What are the best foods to have on hand during winter storms?
During cold winter days, your body goes through a drastic shift. Everything from your food preference to your metabolism and energy levels is affected by winter.
It’s important to stay healthy during the winter, and this includes “winterizing” your diet!
A tasty and nutritious winter meal is soup. However, it’s important to avoid soups and stews with too much salt and cream because those ingredients negatively affect your energy levels.
Instead, opt for soups that use water as a base as well as loads of vegetables. We love this Cream of Chicken soup for frigid winter days–it includes everything you love about a big bowl of soup without any of the bad stuff! Using delectable white breast chicken and only the freshest cream and collagen bone broth base, Proper Good Cream of Chicken soup is made for those days where all you want to do is crawl under a blanket and watch the snow fall. Not to mention it’s shelf stable … making this an ideal option when thinking ahead to colder times!
Another easy way to eat enough veggies during winter is to eat root vegetables!
While buying fresh vegetables during the winter can be challenging, we love eating root vegetables in the winter because they can withstand cold weather and can be eaten in a variety of ways–even boiled, raw, or roasted. Root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes are also rich with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A and C.
So … you’re looking forward to winter now, right? Okay okay, maybe not, but we hope these tips at least help give you a leg up on getting prepared and being proactive.
And don’t worry, spring time will be here before you know it. :)
